BWW Profile: Jessica Lange Emmy-Nominated Star of Stage and Screen
By: Tess Reynolds Sep. 17, 2015
Jessica Lange is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation. As the recipient of several awards, including two Oscars, three Emmys, five Golden Globes, one SAG award and three Dorian Awards, and now nominated to take home her fourth Emmy for Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Elsa Mars on AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW, it is no question that Lange has proved her acting abilities since her professional film debut in 1976's KING KONG.
Lange's film credits are exponential, including ALL THAT JAZZ, HOW TO BEAT THE HIGH CO$T OF LIVING, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, FRANCES, and TOOTSIE. Lange was the first performer in 20 years to receive two Academy Award nominations in the same year, one for FRANCES and eventually winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in TOOTSIE.
In 1984, Lange made her first television debut alongside Tommy Lee Jones in a CBS Playhouse production of Tennessee William's CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.
On several occasions, Lange has beaten out Meryl Streep for roles, such as her "damsel-in-distress" debut in KING KONG as well as her role as legendary country singer Patsy Cline in Karel Reisz's biopic, SWEET DREAMS. Streep calling Lange "beyond wonderful" in SWEET DREAMS and stated, "I couldn't imagine doing it as well or even coming close to what Jessica did because she was so amazing in it."
In the 1990s, Lange made her first Broadway debut, starring as Blanche DuBois in a production of Tennessee Williams' A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, opposite Alec Baldwin. In 1995, Lange reprised her role as Blanche DuBois in a CBS television adaptation of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, opposite Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, and John Goodman. Her performance earned her a fourth Golden Globe Award as well as her first Primetime Emmy Award Nomination. In 1996, Lange made her London stage debut, starring again as Blanche DuBois in another production of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Lange's performance in TITUS, Julie Taymor's 1999 adaptation of William Shakespeare's TITUS ANDRONICUS earned her rave reviews.
In 2000, Lange went back to the London stage to star as Mary Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's, LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, for which she received an Olivier Award nomination. In 2005, Lange starred alongside her AMERICAN HORROR STORY companion, Sarah Paulson, in a Broadway revival of Tennessee William's THE GLASS MENAGERIE.
After four years as the star of the extremely successful FX horror show AMERICAN HORROR STORY, Lange announced she would not return for the fifth season. Instead, Lange can be found returning to Broadway alongside Gabriel Byrne and John Gallagher Jr. in a revival of LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, produced by Ryan Murphy and The Roundabout Theater Company. Previews are set for March 31, 2016 ahead of an April 19, 2016 opening.
Check out a few clips from Jessica Lange's diverse body of work below!
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The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards telecast will air live coast-to-coast on Sunday, September 20th (8 PM ET/5 PM PT) on FOX from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Make BroadwayWorld your home for live coverage at BWW TV and on Twitter @BWWTVWorld.
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